Tennessee football lands 4-star safety Marcus Jones, nephew of former Vol

Four-star safety Marcus Jones, the nephew of former Vols standout Mark Jones, has committed to Tennessee football in the 2027 class.

Jones, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from Haverford, Pennsylvania, chose Tennessee over Michigan. He also had scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Vanderbilt among others.

Jones announced his commitment on social media on June 26, posting "Rocky Top!! Let's do it."

Rocky Top!! Let’s do it 🍊 https://t.co/HDNXYrMOAG

— Marcus Jones 4⭐️ (@MarcusJones088) June 26, 2026

Marcus Jones is listed as an athlete by position, but he's expected to play safety for the Vols. He is ranked the No. 22 safety and No. 262 player overally in the 2027 class by 247Sports Composite.

His uncle, Mark Jones, was a Tennessee wide receiver, defensive back and return specialist in the early 2000s. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent six seasons in the NFL with five different teams.

Tennessee football commitments in 2027 class

The early signing period is Dec. 2-4, 2026. Jones is Tennessee's 16th commitment in Tennessee’s 2027 recruiting class.

In-state players top the list. Oak Ridge tight end Malik Howard, Brentwood Academy wide receiver Kesean Bowman, Brentwood Academy linebacker Kenneth Simon and Siegel offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo are four-star prospects. Jones and offensive tackle Q'Mari Hudson (Chesapeake, Virginia) are also rated four stars.

Goodpasture cornerback Brandon Leavell, Haywood safety Jaden Butler, Maryville linebacker JP Peace and South Pittsburg wide receiver Dayon Cooper are three-star commitments from Tennessee.

Quarterback Derrick Baker (Alpharetta, Georgia), cornerback Carter Jamison (Fairburn, Georgia) and cornerback Dylan Haley (Flowery Branch, Georgia) are also three-star commitments.

Junior college defensive lineman Christian Mays (Booneville, Mississippi), long snapper Sam McKeown (Jenks, Oklahoma) and placekicker Ford Fehling (Waxhaw, North Carolina) are not rated by 247Sports Composite.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football lands 4-star safety Marcus Jones, nephew of former Vol